Madhuri Kanitkar is a three star Lieutenant General of the Indian Army. She has served in the Indian Army for over 37 years. She serves as Deputy Chief of Staff (Medical) in the Integrated Defence Staff under the Chief of Defence Staff. Madhuri Kanitkar is also a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
Wiki/Biography
Madhuri Kanitkar was born on October 15, 1960, in Dharwad, Karnataka (60 years old in 2020). She went to school at Fergusson College, Pune, and then entered the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune to study medicine. After graduating from AFMC, she received medical training and military training in Lucknow. During the training in Lucknow, Madhuri and her classmates would run five kilometers, climb ropes, jump ditches, etc. Apart from this, they were trained in weapons, shooting and other things. Madhuri’s first posting was in the suburbs of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where she worked on a field ambulance and stayed in the deployed mobile temporary unit. She was posted all over the country, and in the 35 years of their marriage, Madhuri and Rajeev were posted together for only 12 years. They raised their two children together with the support of their in-laws and parents.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 3″
Eye color: Black
Hair color: Gray
Family and caste
Parents and siblings
Madhuri Kanitkar’s father’s name is Chandrakant Gopalrao Khot and mother’s name is Hemalata Chandrakant Khot. Madhuri has two sisters – Nilima Kadambi and Rashmi Haritwal.
Madhuri Kanitkar’s sister Nilima Kadambi
Husband and children
On November 16, 1982, Madhuri Kanitkar married Rajiv Kanitkar, a retired Indian Army lieutenant general. They are the first couple in the history of the Indian armed forces to achieve the three-star rank. They have a daughter, Vibhuti Kanitkar, and a son, Nikhil Kanitkar. Vibhuti works as a user experience designer in Washington, USA. Nikhil Kanitkar is the head of procurement, marketing and business development for a company in Pune.
From R to L – Madhuri Kanitkar, Rajeev Kanitkar, Vibhuti Kanitkar, Nikhil Kanitkar and Tejas Visal-Kanitkar
Profession
In 1982, Madhuri joined the Army Medical Corps and was posted to the outskirts of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, working with a mobile medical team in an ambulance. In 1990, she completed her postgraduate studies and obtained a Doctor of Medicine degree in Paediatrics. Madhuri then trained in Paediatric Nephrology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. In parallel, she also completed fellowship training at the National University Hospital, Singapore and Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. After completing fellowship training, Madhuri was appointed as Associate Professor at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune and later became the Head of the Department of Paediatrics. In addition to being the Head of the Department, Madhuri also served as a Professor at the Army Medical College. Madhuri took the lead in establishing the first Paediatric Nephrology Service in the Army Medical Corps. She served as the President of the Indian Society of Paediatric Nephrology and the Deputy Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, Office of DGAFMS, New Delhi. On January 28, 2017, Madhuri was appointed as the Dean and Vice-Chancellor of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune.
Madhuri Kanitkar in her office
Awards and Honors
- Vishisht Seva Medal 2014
- Ati Vishisht Seva Medal 2018
- Principal’s Gold Medal, ranked first in graduation, and outstanding performance in extracurricular activities
Madhuri Kanitkar receives the gold medal from Indian President Ram Nath Kovind
Facts/Trivia
- Madhuri is the third woman to be awarded the three-star rank in the Indian armed forces. The other two women to have received the distinction are Vice Admiral Surgeon Dr Punita Arora, a former three-star officer in the Indian Navy, and Padma Bandopadhyay, the first female Air Marshal (equivalent to a Lieutenant General) in the Indian Air Force.
- Madhuri decided to join the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, but was opposed by her father as he wanted her to study at BJ Medical College, Pune and become a civilian doctor. However, Madhuri told her father after getting admitted to AFMC and he agreed to let her pursue her dream with two conditions: he would not pay the security deposit and Madhuri had to join the Army.
- Madhuri passed the military training along with 19 other girls from her batch, but when they were given full ranks, only six or seven girls stayed in the Army. As of 2020, she is the only one from her batch who remains in the Army.
- Madhuri always wanted to learn more in the field of medicine and went to Singapore to study outpatient dialysis for children, where she took a four-month course. She then went to the Royal College of Medicine in the UK to study bladder dysfunction, which helped her set up a medical and testing center in the army.
- In 1999, Madhuri planned to travel to Singapore with her family during the holidays. The holiday was to spend time with her family as she was posted in Pathankot, her husband was posted in Hisar and her children lived in Pune. Two days before leaving, they were called back to the battlefield to fight in the Kargil War.
- General Kanitkar has been awarded the Indian Army Chief of Staff Commendation Card five times and was also awarded the Army Chief of Staff Commendation Card.
- Madhuri was appointed as a Lieutenant General on February 29, 2020 and wore her husband’s military cap at a ceremony presided over by her husband, retired Lieutenant General Rajiv Kanitkar and the Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).
Madhuri Kanitkar participates in the blowing ceremony
- When Madhuri is away from her desk, she enjoys spending time with her family and engaging in various fitness and recreational activities. She enjoys playing golf and horse riding. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, Madhuri manages to jog 10 km in a single training session. She even enjoys adventure sports like paragliding.
Madhuri Kanitkar paragliding in Birbiling
- Fashion and lifestyle magazine Femina has featured Madhuri as the cover girl for the magazine’s August 2020 issue. Madhuri Kanitkar shares the cover with Alisha Abdullah (champion racing driver) and Harmanpreet Kaur (captain of the Indian women’s ODI/T20 cricket team).
Madhuri Kanitkar on the cover of Femina magazine
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education